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Strategy session - drawing up business tactics for auto repair

Are you feeling crushed under the weight of running your business? You’re not alone. Many auto repair Owners and General Managers wonder why running their businesses is so hard. But not all of them. What strategy is in play to create their success?

Strategy – Big Picture Planning

We often hear the mantra, “Work Smarter Not Harder.” What does that mean? Let’s talk about Strategy versus Tactics for a bit. Understanding the difference between them is critical to your business’s success.

Strategy is looking at the big picture planning you need to do before diving into the tactics. If your spouse wants you to build her dream house, you don’t just run to Home Depot and purchase a pile of bricks. If you HAD a pile of bricks laying around in the backyard, would you then start laying them out? No. You would end up with a disappointing mess, as well as an unhappy spouse. Not good.

When you want to build your dream house, there are specific steps you need to take before beginning the build process. First, you need to purchase the land and survey the land. Next, you will meet with an architect and draw out the plans. Then, meet with the builders, acquire the permits, and make sure there is money in the bank to pay for it all. That’s called strategy.

Tactics – Laying the Foundation

After all that, THEN you can begin laying the foundation. You’ll be counting the number of bricks you’ll need, setting up the framing, installing the infrastructure, hiring the electrician, and so on. That’s tactics.

If you try building that dream home without strategy or tactics, you’re screwed. It doesn’t matter how good the architect and builder are. Without strategy and tactics, you get stuck with analysis paralysis! You wonder why that dang house has become such a money pit.

How Do Strategy and Tactics Apply to Your Auto Repair Business? 

Everyone needs a strategy, from your technicians to you, the owner and managerWell, if you want to build your ideal company, then you need to put together your strategy. Once your business plan and marketing strategies are mapped out, you need to employ the tactics that will get you there.

Fortunately, You Net Results has the experience to walk you through both the strategy and tactics you’ll need to get your business to the next million dollars in annual revenue. It’s not an overnight project. It takes a lot of work. However, it’s a solid plan that will help you reach your goals, as long as you implement and take action.

At You Net Results, we facilitate coaching groups for auto repair shop owners. Together, we  can all reach a turnaround point. You will emerge from the experience of moving from a business owner to a confident business leader. Thus, you will eliminate the obstacles that hold you back. 

Are you ready? Let’s do this. 

To find out more, contact us for a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis will discuss your business strategies and find ways to improve your annual revenue and company culture.

In this video, Brian and and our members discuss advanced phone voice skills. These are tips that your service advisors can use TODAY to sell more jobs! This is must watch content for auto repair shop owners, as well as their service writers! Watch the video, then read on for more.

Phone Voice Tips for Automotive Industry Professionals

The more you practice phone voice enhancements, the more confident you will be selling auto repair jobs.First, Brian discusses moves on from previously discussing analogies that Service Advisors can use to close more sales. He shares a worksheet with lists of phone voices. These include Payoff Enhancements, which can help close more sales. Second, the worksheet lists Voice Enhancements to avoid. Finally, he points out a list of Payoff Gestures, which can help Service Writers on the phone or in person.

The Payoff Voice Enhancements, depending on the situation, can be invaluable tools. Imagine encountering a customer who is disappointed that their car broke down. They don’t know you personally and have never been in your shop. Because of that, they do not trust you. How would you cheer them up and put their mind at ease? Practicing a phone voice of empathy is key. Knowing the customer’s situation inside and out prepares you to know the right voice enhancement to use. This is especially important when making follow up phone calls where you must break unpleasant news to your customer about their vehicle.

Gathering as much knowledge as you can about a vehicle’s situation is crucial to building your confidence. Repair shop owners and Service Advisors may do this by personally inspecting the vehicle, speaking with your Technicians about the job. Sometimes, it’s a simple as Googling a particular issue or part. When you are fully prepared for your call, customers will recognize your confidence, and they will feel more at ease.

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

What to know more about improving your phone voice? Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Are you selling all of the jobs you possibly can? Can your customers see the passion you have for servicing their vehicles? A Sense of Urgency (SOU) can really make the difference in creating lifetime customers.

Learning a Sense of Urgency for Customer Service

Urgency is important for an Automotive Mechanic.

Whether you’re a Service Advisor working front of house, or a Mechanic working in the back, a sense of urgency is key.

Brian opens up this segment with an analogy about walking into a local restaurant. Their staff instantly bowls you over by bending over backward to serve you. The host or hostess greets you with a smile and quickly directs you to an open table. Your Waiter rushes to your seats to take your order. How do you think that affects your buying mood? Aren’t you more likely to start with an appetizer or order a dessert afterward?

It should come as no surprise to you that many auto repair clients become repeat customers because of how friendly a shop’s staff are. When front counter staff are quick to greet you politely and take a genuine interest in you and your vehicle, you are more likely to want to come back.

Brian provided evidence of this by using an example of one of his Service Advisors at the shop he once owned in Georgia. Since this employee demonstrated a sense of urgency, as well as an eager to please attitude, it made a huge impression on his clients. They even remembered him years later!

There’s no reason why this can’t work for your shop! When you encourage the traits of friendliness and speedy service in your Service Writers, Managers, and Technicians, everybody wins.

Learn more about customer service – get your FREE Strategy Session

Did you enjoy this clip on Sense of Urgency? Why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

How much can we influence buying mood when we increase customer comfort? From our members only Clear Counter Communications Series, here’s some great advice for your Service Writers on how to make customers feel at home. If you really want to make auto repair sales, then you need to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and do whatever it takes to make them feel comfortable in your shop.

Customer comfort factors: restaurant analogies

Brian opens up with an analogy about restaurant service. You made plans with a friend to meet for lunch at a local taco restaurant. You show up, walk inside, and you have to wait to be seated. The staff seems to be ignoring you! When the host finally shows up to seat you 2-3 minutes later,  they don’t even apologize for making you wait! In this environment, how likely are you to spend extra money on cocktails or dessert after your meal?

In much the same way, you must make the effort to get acquainted with customers when they walk in the door. Engage with them by making small talk, or even complimenting them. Nobody likes having to spend extra money for repairs. Beginning the process with a friendly Service Advisor will make it less painful. You’ll be surprised when you start getting more “YES” answers, just from implementing this simple step.

Could you increase customer comfort in this situation?

Could you increase customer comfort in this situation?

Influencing your customers’ buying mood through personal connection

Many customers have made buying decisions before they’ve even walked in the door. Like it or not, factors outside your control may have influenced them negatively toward paying for necessary service. As a front counter worker, you will be the first person clients see when they walk in the door. Can you go above and beyond to break the ice?

Ready to take it to the next level? Get Your FREE Strategy Session!

Did that clip about customer comfort strike a chord with you? Why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

 

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